


This Is a Place

by HeavenlyMess



Series: Heaven is a Place, This is a Place [2]
Category: Frank Iero and the Future Violents (Band), Gerard Way and the Hormones, LeATHERMØUTH, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe, Barista Frank Iero, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Frerard, M/M, My Chemical Romance Break Up, Post-Break Up, current frerard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:09:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29988192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeavenlyMess/pseuds/HeavenlyMess
Summary: Now that Gerard is back in his life, Frank has to figure out how to deal with his family, his future and their relationship.
Relationships: Frank Iero/Gerard Way, Frank Iero/Jamia Nestor
Series: Heaven is a Place, This is a Place [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2118864
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	This Is a Place

Frank got up early for work, thinking about quitting more than ever. And it was one of those days where he wondered if he could just quit and go back to music.

But instead, he put on his jeans and shirt, and went on.

He served his coffee, humming a song he was working on the night before, and put on a jacket.

To be fair, he was more anxious than in a good mood. He only needed the day to go by quickly. At least until lunch. He had managed to get Rick, another one of the managers to cover half of his shift so he could leave early.

The morning rush was slow. It was a Tuesday, which usually only brought their regular customers. And after two more of his employees got there, he spent a couple hours in the office. When he walked out, he put on the headset and took orders while making drinks to keep himself distracted from everything. He messed up a couple times, made someone angry when he said he couldn’t give the customer a special discount, and almost slipped on the floor.

But as soon as Rick walked in at noon, he left. Not without making a venti white mocha on his way out.

He hadn’t been this nervous and excited in a while. Was it a date? Or just hanging out? Whatever it was, he was shaking.

Even after what happened the other day, he still didn’t know where he and Gerard stood. Were they trying to give their relationship another chance? Was this just a friends with benefits thing? How would it work with his marriage and the kids? And if they started to date, he was aware of how different it’d be than when they were back in the band. But thinking about it, was giving him anxiety.

He’d been doing alright for the last couple years, had stopped smoking for a while but then started again after his grandfather died. And all he wanted at that moment was to get drunk enough to not think, which he realized was a little hypocritical.

He just didn’t know how to do it.

He knew they couldn’t go out openly, for obvious reasons. The chances of them getting caught, together, looking like it’s a date. It could be disastrous, for both of them. He didn’t want that to affect Gerard and send him back into depression or alcohol again. And he didn’t want his kids to find out that way.

And it wasn’t like they ever properly dated. Unless you counted hiding in bathrooms and greenrooms as dating. Were they even dating? Fuck, now he was thinking way too hard.

When he parked his car outside the Way house, he took a deep breath. It felt exactly like fifteen years before, when he’d visit Gerard and help him with the songs, and they would drink all night, and one beer led to the next. Or when he’d crash after a show and they would smoke pot and talk all night, and then Frank would kiss Gerard until they fell asleep cuddling. Gerard was always his safe place.

No matter how much he tried to deny it, or force himself to forget about him, or how toxic their relationship could be at times, he had never felt as complete as when he was with Gerard. He understood every part of him. The good parts, even when Frank couldn’t see them. And all the broken ones, and he never tried to fix him. He loved Frank just the way he was.

Now he was outside his door again, vulnerable as ever.

What was he supposed to say?

_Let’s give it a chance._

_I want you back._

_Let’s do what we should have done ten years ago._

He couldn’t.

For a second, he considered leaving, calling Gerard and telling him that they couldn’t see each other anymore. That maybe it wasn’t the best idea. But just the thought of breaking Gerard’s heart, and his own in the process. He couldn’t do it.

He rubbed his hands on his face in an attempt to clear his head before getting out of the car, almost forgetting the now cold coffee.

The nervousness came back as he walked to the back door, and he tried to ignore the whole in his stomach that seemed to yell that maybe he shouldn’t be there. But it was too late.

He had barely knocked on the door when Gerard opened the door, as if he’d been waiting for him all along. Frank looked up, still caught up in his own thoughts. What could he say now? Gerard looked gorgeous as usual, and he was starting to recover. And he loved how he looked with the long hair and the beard. Fuck, he was still in love with him.

‘You brought me coffee?’ the older man said, bringing Frank back to reality.

‘Huh? Oh yeah – it might be cold, though,’ he replied as he handed it to him. ‘I got stuck in traffic.’

‘As if I ever cared about that.’ Gerard pulled him inside and into his arms, kissing his lips and pushing him against the door in one single movement.

‘Is that your way to thank me for the coffee?’ Frank asked between kisses.

‘You know the answer.’

‘Good to know.’

‘It pays off to have a boyfriend who works at Starbucks.’

He didn’t realize the words that came out until it was too late, and by then Frank was looking straight at him, flushed and anxious. ‘Is that what we are?’

And Gerard wanted to tell him that yes, in his mind, they were always soulmates, they were never _not_ boyfriends. That the past four years had been the longest ones not being able to be with him, and that the only reason he stayed alive was him. The hope that one day they could be together one day.

And maybe he was asking for a lot, holding on to an impossible. But here they were, and it seemed like it wasn’t that impossible for once. ‘I – I’m sorry –’

Frank didn’t say anything, just gave him a look. His eyes looked sad and watery, but the way he looked at Gerard was so full of love. As always. Then, out of nowhere he started cracking up. ‘Why would you be sorry? There is nothing I want more than be your boyfriend.’

‘Are you –?’

‘Gerard –’ he took his hands in his, rubbing the back with his tattooed thumbs, and looked at him straight in the eye. ‘I’ve been in love with you since I was twenty years old. We’ve shared so many moments, and no one understands me like you. Not even Jamia. She will never know how fucked up I feel after everything we went through. You were there those nights when it felt like we wouldn’t make it, and you were there when it was too much. And I know it was worse for you. And I’m sorry I didn’t understand that you had to break up the band in order to get better.’

Gerard didn’t know what to say. Because he felt the same. Obviously Mikey and Ray went through the same experience, but having Frank there made everything less shitty.

Every single time.

And he felt awful for having demolished Frank’s safe place and his dreams in the process. There was nothing he hated more than knowing that he’d done that. That was why he never reached out to him in all those years.

He wanted to tell him that, but Frank continued. ‘I know this won’t be easy. And I need to figure things out with Jamia. I know she’s okay with it, but it’s different now that we have kids, and things have changed. But we’ll find a way, okay?’ The older man nodded, not sure how to react. ‘I still remember this one night, way back in the beginning, you invited me to drink with some of your friends from college, and when someone asked you if I was your boyfriend, you said yes.’

‘I remember that,’ Gerard said with a smile.

‘I think about that all the time. And ever since then, I liked to think that we were.’

‘Were?’

‘Can we leave the technicalities for later, and focus on the important matter?’ Frank asked.

‘Which is?’

And Frank just put the coffee aside, and pushed Gerard to his bed, their lips attached to each other, and their hands already exploring under their clothes.

‘But the coffee,’ Gerard mumbled as Frank took off his hoodie.

‘Don’t worry, I’ll get you more.’

***

‘Okay, but you have to agree veggie food is better in California,’ Gerard said. They were lying naked in bed, talking about nonsense, just like in the old days.

‘I guess you’re right. But I’m still not moving to California.’

‘Oh c’mon, Frankie! It doesn’t mean you’re any less of a Jersey kid!’ Gerard joked. ‘And Jersey will still love you back.’

Frank could only laugh. ‘It’s not that. I just don’t feel the need to leave. This is home. My family is here. I have everything I need here.’ Gerard could swear he was looking straight through his soul, and those hazel eyes still had power over him. Frank paused to leave soft, tiny kisses all over his face. ‘The only reason I ever consider moving is here now. So nope.’

Gerard blushed and just let him kiss him for a while because suddenly life didn’t seem so bad. Their skin sticky against each other, and their hair a mess. It was just like Warped Tour all over again, except they were older now and his back hurt when they wrestled. ‘Hey,’ Gerard whispered in Frank’s ear, still giggling. ‘I was thinking – I’ll make us some lunch, and we can do something, I don’t know.’

‘Hmm – lunch? I like where you’re going. May I add something?’ Gerard listened attentively. ‘We could take a shower together,’ he said in a flirty tone.

‘Are you trying to insinuate that I stink?’

‘No – if anything, I do. I just got off work. But also, I’m just trying to help out, okay?’ Gerard knew it. He’d always been there to help him when he was too depressed to even get up from bed, and he’d make him company when he locked himself in his hotel room on those dark days. ‘I know it’s hard,’ he said, and Gerard almost chocked, remembering him saying those words before. ‘But I’m here.’

And then, he had no choice but to follow Frank to the bathroom and step in the shower. He let him wash his hair and then kissed him. Running his hands down his arms, and pulling him closer. He wondered if his life would be any different if he chose to stay with him instead. Would they wake up together every morning and take showers together? Would he encourage Frank to continue making music instead of working at Starbucks? He knew it wasn’t Jamia’s fault. She was the best thing that could ever happen to Frank, and Gerard was grateful he was with her and that they had a beautiful marriage, because that meant Frank was happy. Unlike him.

Once out of the shower, he found some clean clothes to lend to Frank, and they got dressed. ‘Should I shave the beard?’ Gerard asked, looking at himself in the mirror for the first time in days. He wasn’t used to how he looked yet.

‘Nah,’ Frank replied from the other side of the room. ‘I like it.’

‘But I look like a hobo.’

‘A sexy hobo.’ He came from behind to wrap his arms around him and place a kiss on his cheek. ‘It really suits you.’ So Gerard kept it.

They went upstairs to the kitchen, the same kitchen where Frank had spent endless mornings smoking with Gerard’s mom while he waited for him to wake up so they could go practice, or where the guys would make coffee and plan the setlists back in the day. It was too quiet now, though. ‘Where are your folks?’ he asked.

‘My mom is having brunch with her friends, and my dad had to go out of town to get his truck fixed. He’ll be back soon, I bet.’

‘So is that why you asked me on a date?’

‘Maybe. Not really. I didn’t know I’d have the house to myself.’ He opened the fridge and grabbed everything that he had bought the night before. He wasn’t a great cook, and preferred things that were simple, so he was making them veggie wraps. Frank put on some music on his phone, and helped him making lemonade, feeling at home, just like when he visited his own mom. And in between cutting the avocados and adding sugar to the lemonade, they’d share a kiss or two, and then moved to the other side of the kitchen. It felt so domestic, and Gerard couldn’t help thinking this is what it would be if he had married Frank and not Lindsey. There would be a dog or two, and maybe some kids running around. But he loved it.

‘Speaking of being home alone,’ Gerard said out of nowhere, and turned to the younger man. ‘I’d been thinking about – getting my own place soon.’

‘In Jersey?’ Frank asked, a little excited, as much as he tried to hide it.

‘Yeah. I mean, I love my parents, but I’m in my forties. It’s weird to live here. And I have to get out at some point, but I still need a support system. I have them here. I have you.’ Frank looked at him with a tiny smirk and blushing. ‘No pressure. If you want, we can be just friends, but I need you.’

‘And I’m here.’ He reached for Gerard’s hand and kissed the back. ‘You know that. I promised you that I’d help you stay clean and get better.’ Then, he paused. ‘Plus, we had already talked about it. The whole boyfriend thing.’

‘I guess. But I don’t want to pressure you into staying with me to stay sober.’

‘You’re not pressuring me. I’m here because I want to, and because I love you. And I meant it when I said I want to be your boyfriend.’

‘And what about Jamia? How is that going to work?’

‘I’ll talk to her. But it’s nothing we haven’t done before.’

‘I know but it was different. We were on tour. Now we all live in the same town again, we have kids.’

‘Ssshhh,’ Frank calmed him down. ‘We don’t have to worry about the details now, okay? I’ll talk to Jam. But she’s cool with it, I promise. Now, let’s just sit down and eat.’

‘Okay.’ So he finished the wraps and served them, and they talked for the longest time about what was the best neighborhood to live. Frank told him he should get a house instead of an apartment, for safety reasons, and so that B had a bigger space when she came visit him, and that seemed to make Gerard excited, so he said he’d look up something. Soon, Donald and Donna were back home, and they all sat to watch TV together. It felt so natural for Frank to sit next to Gerard and hold his hand, the Way house having always been a safe place for them, and Gerard’s parents being so accepting. Frank knew it probably had to do with how he took care of their son, and how Gerard seemed to almost need Frank. But he was grateful for it.

After a while, Frank had to go back home. ‘Thanks,’ Gerard said.

‘Thank you for inviting me.’ He leaned in for a kiss. ‘We should do it more often.’

‘I’d love that.’

***

That night, Frank came home and found the kids doing homework in the dinning room, while his wife was finishing making dinner. ‘I’m sorry I’m late,’ he apologized when he greeted her in the kitchen.

‘Nah. We were having fun. After picking them up from my mom’s, we went for ice cream.’

‘I’m glad.’ He couldn’t help being a little jealous, since he was always doing those kinds of things with them, but now he was with Gerard. And he couldn’t help wondering if it was worth it.

‘I know what you’re doing, so stop it,’ Jamia said. ‘I like hanging out with them, too. And you seem happy with Gerard.’

‘I –’ He felt guilty now. He knew not many people understood their relationship. How they could be so open about it. But it had worked for them since day one. Jamia had always known about Gerard, and she knew Frank loved her, but she also knew his boyfriend was in love with his bandmate and best friend Gerard. So she had accepted it. And they even hung out together in the beginning, and Gerard and her got very close. And she trusted him. Until he broke his heart and Frank got too depressed.

‘Honey, we’ve talked about this.’ She continued serving the salad, and got everything ready. ‘You took a shower? You smell nice.’ Frank couldn’t even hide his smile. ‘Okay, maybe I don’t wanna know. But, you seem happy, so I’m happy. Now help me with the plates.’

They sat at the table, and the kids told him about going to McDonald’s, and their grandma’s dog, and playing videogames with Uncle Evan. At some point they asked Frank where he had been all afternoon, and though he always promised to be honest with his children, he knew it was not the time. ‘I went to see an old friend.’

‘What is your friend’s name?’ Miles asked.

‘Gerard.’

‘Is he the one you were in a band with?’ Cherry asked.

‘Yeah. That same one.’ They asked more about the band, so he was happy to change the subject, and for once in the longest time, happy to talk about the band and his experience being a rock star. The look on their faces made him feel a little bit cool.

That night before bed, he and Jamia talked and drank for hours, just like in the good old days, dancing in the basement while the kids slept. He wondered if maybe that was their relationship needed all along. They talked about seeing other people, and how they’d have to work out their schedules with the kids. He tried not to be jealous thinking about her with someone else, but he was doing the same with Gerard. But in the end, they knew that honesty was key for them. He got really lucky with her, he thought.

They ended up the night doing impressions of singers and telling each other bad jokes, and then fell asleep on the floor, cuddled together.

***

Gerard applied cologne one last time. He was nervous as hell, it had been a while since the last time he had a _date._ Was it a date? Frank had just called him to say he was coming over, to get ready. But he never said if it was something low key, like they’d been doing the last couple times, just them hanging out and talking in his room, and maybe fucking. Yet, something about the fact that they’d hang out late at night, and that he asked him to get ready made it seem so – _official._ And now he was anxious.

He’d barely been divorced for six months, and things were bad for a long time. And he never saw other people afterwards. Not because he was hopeful that he’d get back with Frank, because in a million years he would have never thought that he had a chance. But now he was waiting for Frank to come, sitting in the same bed they used to talk for hours, and where they kissed for the first time almost twenty years ago.

Fuck, he felt too old for this. What if he was just imagining things? Frank would never leave Jamia and his kids for him, and he would never ask him to. He knew that was sacred. Though, they had made it work before, and he trusted Frank.

Then, there was a knock on the door, bringing him back to reality. _Shit, he’s here,_ Gerard thought, going into panic mode. He checked himself in the mirror. He was wearing an army green shirt, nothing too fancy, but at least it wasn’t a hoodie or one of his old t-shirts.

Not that they could go anywhere.

‘Gee! I know you’re there!’ his boyfriend yelled from outside. ‘If you don’t open, I’ll go knock on the front door and take your mom on a date.’

Fuck. Gerard took one deep breath, and walked to his door to find Frank wearing a dress shirt and holding bouquet of red roses. The older man didn’t know how to react. ‘Hi,’ Frank said with a soft smile, and those eyes that melted him every time.

‘Hi.’ He let Frank inside, and greeted him with a kiss, unable to stop smiling. ‘These are for me?’

‘Yes.’

‘So this is like an official date?’ Gerard asked.

And as if on cue, he showed him what he’d been hiding behind his back. ‘I went to get Chinese food on my way here,’ Frank said. ‘They don’t have a lot of vegetarian options, but this is the kind you won’t get in LA.’

‘God! I missed trashy Jersey food!’ Gerard said leading him inside. ‘It sucks that we can’t go out on a real fancy date without risking getting caught.’

‘What do you mean real fancy date? As if we didn’t have real dates in this same exact room before. And we’re both looking fancy as fuck.’ Gerard just smiled because he was right. They sat on the floor, eating noodles and talking about random stuff. Gerard told him he was cleaning up some boxes earlier and he found a guitar pick he gave him back when they first met, and one of their early setlists. ‘Holy shit!’ Frank said.

Then he ranted about customers and his boss, and Gerard asked him why he was still working there, he should be doing something else. ‘I’m not saying your job is less valid, but if you hate it, why work there? And you’re a musician, for fuck’s sake, Frankie! You’re so talented and it’s so unfair that the world doesn’t know that.’

And Frank did his best to hold in the tears. Getting praised by Gerard was the best thing for him. He lived to make him proud, and it still felt as good as when after a Pencey Prep show, Gerard told him he had loved the new song. ‘Thank you,’ he muttered.

‘I’m serious. I don’t know anyone else who was so sure about their path at such a young age, and who did it with such passion as you. So it pisses me off, really, that you’re not doing what you love.’

‘Gee –’

‘No, hear me out. I just want you to be happy. And I know that you are, I know that your family is the most important thing for you. But without music, you’re not complete. And you know it.’

How did Gerard always know him better than himself?

‘If I tell you that I have a few songs recorded from a couple years ago, and a couple more that I wrote recently?’

‘That makes me really happy. Are you planning on releasing them?’

‘Not really. I just wrote them to let it out of my system. I just needed to.’

‘Then, keep writing.’

‘Okay.’ He nodded, and took another veggie roll.

‘And send them to me. I wanna hear what’s inside that little head of yours.’

Frank couldn’t help blushing. He wasn’t so sure about letting him hear songs that he wrote about him, but at the same time he wanted to know what he thought. ‘Okay.’

At some point, Gerard mentioned that he was starting to look for apartments and houses. ‘Shaun told me he’d text me the info of the person who helped him find his house.’

‘That’s cool.’

‘It’s weird. I’m kinda scared. Like I’ve never had my own place in Jersey.’

‘Are you sure it’s the right time? I mean, I don’t want you to feel like shit again.’

‘I’m fine. But it’s sweet that you worry about me that much.’

‘Of course I do, idiot. And I’ll check on you every day if I have to.’

‘I’d like that.’ They kissed and that turned into making out and them losing their clothes one by one and Frank fucking him until they fell asleep.

Over the next couple weeks, they kept seeing each other every other day, even if for a couple hours to have coffee, or a make out session before Frank had to pick the kids up from school. As promised, Frank sent him some of his old songs. _Tell me what you think xoxo,_ he texted.

He and Jamia managed to schedule work, the kids, going on dates and time for themselves somehow. She wasn’t seeing anyone else at the moment, but she liked to go hang out with her friends while Frank took care of the kids. He took them to the movies, and they had a bonfire in the backyard and told ghost stories, and when he finally took them to bed, he went down to the basement to finish his songs or call Gerard. ‘Did I wake you up?’ Frank asked.

‘Not at all. I was working on some panels for the next issue.’

‘Oh, good. Just wanted to hear your voice.’

‘I’m glad you did.’ Gerard told him the agency had a couple houses he could go look at whenever he wanted. ‘I’m supposed to meet them on Monday.’

‘That’s great news.’

‘Well, it doesn’t mean I have a place yet. What if I don’t like them?’

‘You’ll find something. But I’m happy for you. You’re a big boy now.’ That made Gerard laugh, and they kept talking for hours and made plans to go visit Frank’s mom one of these days, and the older man said they should just go eat somewhere because it was lame to only hang out in his basement.

The next time that they saw each other, they went to hang out with Shaun and Hambone and talked about nerdy things all night, reminiscing about the old days while playing D&D, and Frank felt a hole in his stomach being able to hold Gerard’s hand around his friends. ‘So,’ Frank asked later that night, sitting in Hambone’s couch while the other two were smoking outside. ‘What did you think about the songs?’

‘I loved them,’ Gerard admitted with a shy smile. ‘You should release them. My favorite was All I Want is Nothing.’

Frank giggled, his face red as a tomato. ‘Oh, yeah?’

‘Yeah.’

‘That’s funny.’

‘I know.’ And the way Gerard looked at him was enough to know he was aware it was for him. ‘And I know people will love it, and you’ll do great.’

‘You think so?’

‘I know so.’

When Frank dropped him off at his house, he told him that they’d give him the keys to his new house in a couple days. ‘You want to see it?’

‘It’s a date then.’

As he drove home, Frank realized he had no idea how he ended up the luckiest man on earth, but he felt grateful for it. Maybe things were finally good for once.

***

‘So this will be my studio –,’ Gerard said, pulling him inside a big room by the kitchen. ‘I was thinking about one of the upstairs room, but this is close to the kitchen, so I like that.’

‘It’s fucking huge!’ Frank said, amused.

‘You like it?’

‘Are you kidding me? Of course! I never imagined that the kid who would never his basement would get a mansion, but I guess your house back in LA was huge too.’

‘Oh, shut up! Says the punk kid with the fancy house.’ Frank only laughed and pretended to punch him. ‘But I’m hoping I can see B soon, and that she comes and stays often. And I want her to have the best.’

‘You’re the most adorable dad, you know that?’

‘Look who’s talking.’ Gerard finished giving him the tour around the house, and they even planned on cooking together one day, having pool days, and maybe even jamming together. ‘I just have to go back to LA to get my stuff.’

‘You’re leaving me?’

‘It’ll only be a week, maybe two. You can spend more time with Jam and your kids.’

‘I guess. But I got so used to hanging out with you.’

‘I know.’ He pulled him closer for a kiss, and Frank noticed how in the last month or two since they’d been seeing each other, he’d seen Gerard recover his confidence little by little, opening up more, and showing his flirty side more and more when they were together. ‘You know what we should do?’ Gerard asked.

‘Is it what I think it is?’

‘Probably.’ And then they both ran upstairs, straight to Gerard’s room, even though there was no bed yet, and he pulled Frank to the thin mattress in the middle of the room, and they started taking off their clothes.

Gerard left for LA a few days later, and promised Frank to stay in touch as much as possible. ‘I’ll call your brother if I have to,’ Frank reminded him.’

‘I know you will. And that’s why I love you.’

But he did try to give him some space. Gerard was going to see his daughter for the first time in months too, and he knew he’d be staying with Mikey, so that gave him some peace of mind. In the meantime, he tried to focus on his own children. They went on a hike, and did arts and crafts every afternoon. ‘You’re not going to see your friend anymore, dad?’ Lily asked.

‘He went to LA for a couple weeks.’ He and Jamia had talked about not telling the kids about their other partners, and he agreed completely, but he knew the kids were smart enough to know Gerard wasn’t just a friend. At least a very special one that their dad cared about a lot.

‘Are you sad?’

‘No, why would I be? He’s going to live in New Jersey now, and he can see his parents, and daddy’s going to help him stay clean. Is that okay with you, guys?’

‘Yeah,’ Cherry asked, and continued with her collage.

Frank realized he had raised them well.

Over the weekend, they took the kids to their grandmother’s house so Frank and Jamia could go out for drinks with friends, and then had the house for themselves so they kept drinking and smoking week, and had loud sex, and then woke up to eat pasta at four in the morning, just because.

There was just one thing he needed to do.

Next Monday, he went to work as usual, and as soon as his manager arrived just past nine, he took off his apron, and walked up to her. ‘So –,’ he started, his voice anxious and shaky. ‘I quit.’

‘What?’ Hannah just looked at him, surprised because Frank had always been a quiet employee, and there was no indication that he was unhappy working there.

‘I’m sorry. I left everything restocked, and I asked Jordan to come earlier, so he should be here soon. But it’s nothing against you, I just can’t keep working here.’ He tried his best not to cry remembering his talk with Gerard the night before. ‘I need to do other stuff.’

‘I understand. And I appreciate your hard work, Frank. It was great having you work with us.’ Frank just nodded and gave her one last hug before running out of the store, almost crying of excitement.

He was going back to music.

***

It took Gerard a while to settle down in his new house, but Frank tried to keep him company during the morning some days and help him unbox and build bookcases, and even cooked for him, and then went back home to be with the kids and work on more songs.

That was taking him a little longer than expected, so there were days where he and Gerard didn’t see each other at all. Especially considering how he was the first Frank Iero in the family not to be good at playing drums.

But then, he’d call Gerard late at night, knowing he’d answer, and show him the results. ‘Are you kidding me, Frank? This is awesome!’

‘Thank you,’ he’d say blushing. ‘I’m actually getting excited about this.’

‘Me too. My sweet baby is growing up,’ Gerard joked.

Frank just laughed, blushing.

‘And I’m also excited to introduce you to a little friend I got today.’

‘Oh you made new friends?’ Frank asked, trying not to sound jealous.

‘Yeah – you’re meeting her tomorrow.’

Frank didn’t know what he was expecting. He knew he wasn’t seeing anyone else, not that he couldn’t. He was free to do so, after all they were in an open relationship. But for some reason, he knew it wasn’t that.

What he wasn’t expecting when he arrived at Gerard’s house was to find a tiny gray kitten sleeping in the middle of the living room. ‘Is this –’ he stuttered.

‘This is Rosy, my new best friend.’

‘But –’ Frank didn’t hate cats. He just didn’t like the idea of living with them. He was a dog person, and he swore to be faithful to them and as a dog person, it was an insult to be in the same room with a cat. But for Gerard, he was willing to try.

‘I know. But I promise you’ll love her by the end of the day.’ Gerard told him one of his mom’s friends had a bunch of kittens, and he missed Lotion and Mitch like crazy, and now that he had a whole house for himself, he thought why not, and adopted little Rosy.

And at first Frank didn’t know how to interact with her. He expected her to do tricks or beg for his attention, but she just sat there. Hours later, she started to follow him around, and he had to be careful not to step on her because she was so small. And within hours, he went from letting her play with the cord of his hoodie to giving her treats and taking pictures of her sleeping next to him.

‘Wow! Frank Iero, the dog lover, holding his first cat,’ Gerard said when he found them in the living room.

‘Ssshh… she’s so cute!’

‘I told you!’ That night, Rosy slept on Frank’s chest, and slowly but surely, they became best friends, too.

A week later, Bandit visited Gerard in New Jersey for the first time, and so Frank gave them a couple days to be together and enjoy each other’s company. Though, Jamia insisted that they should join them for dinner. So Frank invited them. ‘You think it’s cool?’ Gerard asked. ‘I’m pretty sure your wife hates me.’

‘If she did, she wouldn’t have let me be with you. And she wouldn’t have invited you.’

‘I guess.’

So they arrived in the Iero household on Sunday. Gerard seemed small and insecure, and while B greeted Jamia and the kids, Frank and Gerard just shared looks. Frank’s parents made it too, and they were happy to see Gerard again, and see him healthy. And while their children played outside, quickly getting along, doing each other’s nails, the rest of them sat nearby, talking like a big family, and Frank couldn’t help smiling.

‘Son –’ his dad said. ‘Are you ready for Saturday?’

‘Not really,’ he answered, suddenly anxious. ‘I don’t know what I’m doing. And I’m scared of screwing up.’

‘You won’t. If there is someone here with talent is you,’ Gerard said, and Frank’s heart melted.

He wasn’t so sure about it.

***

Frank still had no idea how he managed to convince the manager at the record store to play there, especially without a record. But there he was, about to go on stage for the first time as a solo musician.

‘I don’t think I can do this,’ he whispered, freaking out and pacing from one end of the greenroom to the other, before Gerard had to stop him.

‘Shut it. You’ll be great.’

‘You have too much faith in me.’

‘I do because I’ve seen you. We wouldn’t have gotten anywhere if it wasn’t for you. I’ve heard your songs. People already liked that song you released last week.’

‘But what if I –’

Gerard pressed his lips against his to make him shut up, knowing that would motivate him, just like back in the day. ‘Go and break a leg.’

Frank just smiled, trying to recover his breath. ‘Okay.’ When he walked out of the room, he ran into Jamia and the kids, who hugged and kissed him seconds before he walked on to the small stage.

It was just him and his acoustic guitar. No band.

Fuck.

What was he doing?

Maybe he should have kept his job at Starbucks.

He knew that there were at least two producers from smaller labels that either Hambone or Gerard had called because they believed in him. Both his parents were there. All of his friends. His wife. It was the first time his kids saw him play live. Gerard, the one who had made him believe in himself once, and who still did. The man who had made him feel truly loved for the first time, and the one who had broken his heart too. The one he had written so many songs about.

And by his smile, Frank knew Gerard was proud of him.

He took one last breath and looked up. ‘Hi,’ he said into the microphone. ‘My name is Frank Iero, and I’m going to sing some songs for you.’

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for the love you've given this story, it's really overwhelming <3  
> I hope you like it, and let me know what you think :)


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